《太上黃籙齋儀》Vol. 13

This scripture records the morning ritual for officials seeking disaster relief from the Huanglu Zhai (Grand Purification Rite for Salvation of Souls) compiled by Du Guangting of the Tang Dynasty—a major Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual) for delivering the deceased and dispelling misfortunes.

The ceremony begins with priests paying homage to ancestral masters while maintaining focused awareness. They then recite the "Weiling Zhou" (Protective Spirit Incantation), invoking divine guardianship: "The azure yang qi illuminates the four directions as the solar cycle brings forth numinous energy; the Divine Tiger (guardian beast) expels malevolent forces while the Flying Celestial Bell (ritual implement) crushes wickedness; ten thousand demonic beings are subdued as the nine celestial spheres revolve harmoniously; eight directional mighty deities capture essence-spirits while host of perfected immortals assess merits and faults; the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth and Waters remain immaculately pure." The incantation continues: "To the left summons the Zhonghuang Zhenjun (Yellow Emperor of the Center), to the right mobilizes the Six Ding Generals (six yang spirits); seven revolutions and eight harmonies (neidan terminology for celestial cycles) accord with celestial law as sagely virtue's teachings tower majestically; the Great Dao flows unimpeded through Three Realms while auspicious clouds and numinous qi permeate the Huangting (Dantian)."

The ritual master then strikes the ceremonial drum twenty-four times, symbolizing communication across the Three Realms. This is followed by reverent invitations to the Supreme Dao Lord to summon various deities: the Three-Five Merit Officers (duty gods), Left and Right Messengers, Golden Boy Incense Attendant, Jade Maiden Flower Scatterer, Five Emperor Direct Emissaries (divine envoys from the Five Directions), and thirty-two other celestial officials. Local earth gods and city deities are also invited, declaring this zhaijiao serves devotees seeking disaster relief. Prayers request the Dao qi from the Jade Purity Realm and numinous treasure's radiant light to descend, filling the space with purple qi as the celestial gates open. Protection is sought from the Five Directional Elder Lords (deities of the Five Phases) and the Ten Thousand Celestial Emperors, that body and mind may become pure and luminous like pearls, riding golden light directly to the Purity Realm.

Finally, the master declares his spiritual credentials: "As a disciple of the Shangqing lineage and Three Caverns Master (priest proficient in the Dongzhen, Dongxuan and Dongshen scriptures), I reverently petition with utmost sincerity all Venerable Deities"—including the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Supreme Dao Lord, Jade Emperor, Supreme Laozi, perfected sages from the ten directions who attained the Dao, thirty-six celestial emperors, and directional thearchs representing Daoism's highest pantheon. Through meticulous keyi (liturgical) procedures, the entire ritual constructs a sacred field for human-divine communion.

This passage is a Qingci (Daoist liturgical document) from the Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhaiyi), detailing the ritual process for praying for the emperor's blessings and dispelling calamities. The text mentions "Lingbao Supreme True Illuminated Sovereign Dao Lord" as a revered Daoist deity, while "Thirty-Six Sections of Sacred Scriptures" refers to essential Daoist classics. Through incense offerings and prayers, the ritual masters seek protection from deities across the Three Realms for the nation.

At the ritual's commencement, the masters acknowledge the boundless compassion of the Great Dao (Dao), which bestows auspiciousness and blessings while safeguarding the state and relieving suffering. They prepare to harness the power of Five Talismans (Wufu) and the Three Caverns (Sandong, the classification of Daoist scriptures) to eliminate misfortunes and prolong life. The text references ancient sage-kings who used the River Chart (Hetu, the legendary dragon-horse diagram) and "green registers with vermilion bindings" (Daoist scriptures) for repentance and calamity removal, emphasizing that sincere devotion to goodness ensures divine response.

Next comes the recitation of the emperor's Qingci (prayer document), expressing his mandate to govern with heavenly authority and deep concern for the people's welfare. Due to an official's recent misfortune, the emperor has arranged for morning rituals with incense and floral offerings, beseeching divine favor. The masters perform two incense-offering ceremonies:

The first offering is presented to the "Supreme True Treasure of the Dao" (the origin of Dao), with the masters prostrating themselves to pray that the accumulated merit may bless imperial ancestors and earth deities, elevating them to immortal realms while ensuring enduring national stability.

The second offering honors the "Supreme True Treasure of Scriptures" (Daoist classics), petitioning for the emperor's longevity like the boundless sea, steadfastness like towering mountains, lifespan rivaling the legendary Great Chun tree, and sagely wisdom as radiant as Emperor Shun's golden age—extending similar blessings to the empress.

The ceremony embodies Daoism's tradition of state-protection rituals, employing incense burning, scripture recitation, and divine communion to pray for national peace and imperial well-being.

This passage from the Huanglu Zhaiji (Yellow Register Purification Ritual) liturgy describes the devotional prayers and repentance within a Daoist zhaijiao (purification ritual). At dawn, priests light incense and prostrate, expressing reverence toward the highest Daoist deities.

The text first depicts an idealized era of peace: imperial consorts spread virtue throughout the realm, the royal lineage upholds millennial governance of De (Virtue/Power), and officials fulfill their duties harmoniously. The ritual then reaches its core as priests perform the "threefold incense offering"—twisting incense sticks three times while bowing—praying for the fragrant smoke to ascend to the celestial court as an offering to the supreme Sanqing (Three Pure Ones: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun).

The prayers include:

• May Daoist teachings illuminate the Three Realms (Desire, Form, and Formlessness) and Ten Directions, bringing peace to all beings.
• May souls trapped in the Nine Dark Hells be liberated from suffering, and may sentient beings in the Six Paths of Rebirth be freed from affliction.
• May the ritual patrons be shielded from calamities and granted longevity, their ancestors elevated to the heavenly realms, and their kin blessed with protection.

The repentance section cites essential cultivation principles:

• Treat the Dao and its methods as one's closest companion.
• Treasure scriptures as precious jewels.
• Uphold precepts to restrain the Six Roots (senses and mind).
• Cultivate the Dao to dissolve desires.

By maintaining a heart of serenity and detachment, even celestial demons will revere and protect such practitioners, ensuring boundless blessings across lifetimes.

The ceremony culminates with the solemn Threefold Homage:

1. Prostrating to the Wuji Great Dao (Supreme Truth of Daoism).

2. Honoring the Thirty-Six Sacred Scriptures (the complete Daoist canon).

3. Paying reverence to the Mysterious Great Master (Laozi).

The presiding high priest (gaogong) reaffirms their role, reporting the ritual's purpose to the Sanqing, the Tianshi (Celestial Master) patriarchs, and other sacred beings.

This text exemplifies the complete liturgical framework of Daoist purification rituals—incense offerings, prostrations, and repentance—used to commune with deities and seek blessings. The Huanglu Zhai, a key ritual for saving the deceased and aiding the living, focuses on liberating souls and benefiting humanity.

This scripture depicts the solemn scene of a Daoist Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai), a grand ritual for liberating deceased souls and dispelling misfortunes. The ritual masters reverently declare: "As the pure and turbid Qi formed between heaven and earth and the cosmic directions were established, the divine power that created all things is boundless and inexhaustible. The mysterious wind stirs all beings, while spiritual grace nourishes sentient life. Only when sages govern these forces can they grasp the pivotal mechanisms of creation and accomplish all worldly affairs."

The emperor, ruling with benevolent virtue (De), has ushered in an era of great peace. Now moved by compassion upon learning of an official's misfortune, he has issued an edict to conduct this purification ritual (Zhaijiao). Following the liturgy (Keyi) from the Dongxuan Lingbao Jing (Scripture of the Numinous Treasure from the Cavern of Mystery), the masters prepare the altar—adorning it with gold-dragon embroidered silks, incense, flowers, lamps, and other ritual offerings—while making devout supplications to the Ten Heavens (Daoist cosmological realms) and Three Realms (celestial, terrestrial, and aquatic domains).

They beseech the Celestial Venerables from the Jade Purity Realm (highest Daoist heaven) to bear witness, petitioning the Four Bureaus (heavenly offices governing life, death, fortune, and misfortune) and Five Thearchs (sovereigns of the five directions) to expunge the official's karmic debts recorded in the underworld registers and resolve all enmities. Prayers are offered for the absolution of his countless transgressions across lifetimes, that nine generations of ancestors may receive blessings, his family prosper, longevity increase, official rank advance, calamities cease, and virtuous connections flourish.

The ritual concludes with prayers for the emperor's enduring reign and universal peace among all people. May sun, moon, and stars shine brightly, harvests abound, wars cease, dragon deities protect, and epidemics subside. Let all beings dwell in security and harmony, all things flourish vibrantly, and souls in the Nine Darknesses (the deepest hell realms) receive liberating illumination. Through utmost sincerity and repentance, this retreat aspires to achieve cosmic resonance between heaven and humanity, transforming misfortunes into blessings.

This scripture records the vow recitation and furnace-closing ceremony from the Daoist Yellow Register Retreat (Huanglu Zhai) — a major ritual for redeeming deceased souls and praying for blessings while dispelling calamities. Through ten grand spiritual vows, the Daoist priest expresses boundless compassion toward all beings between heaven and earth.

First are enumerated ten solemn vows: The first vow prays for personal union with the Dao (the Way), with seven generations of ancestors liberated from suffering to ascend to celestial realms. The second wishes rulers to govern with De (Virtue/Power), bringing universal peace and harmonious submission of foreign tribes. The third hopes for the merit-perfection of teaching masters who guide sentient beings. The fourth aspires for fellow cultivators to attain the Dao swiftly while supporting one another. The fifth seeks harmony among kinfolk and reverence for benevolence and righteousness. The sixth resolves to give alms to Daoist practitioners and the impoverished. The seventh extends grace to all living creatures. The eighth repents karmic transgressions from past and present lives. The ninth prays for national prosperity and flourishing of worthy talents. The tenth vows sincere devotion to the Dao until achieving immortal transcendence.

During the furnace-closing ceremony (the ritual’s concluding prayer to the incense burner), the priest invokes guardian deities like the Incense Official Messengers and the Dragon-Tiger Lords, petitioning that the sacred burning site spontaneously manifest celestial elixirs such as golden nectar and jade-blue essences, with a hundred perfected spirits gathering there. Through this divine resonance, practitioners purify body and mind: severing karmic roots from the womb, unblocking bodily energy passages, erasing underworld death-registers, ultimately reaching the state of "serene abiding in the Muddy Pellet" (where the Shen/spirit dwells in the crown-center Dantian). The Sovereign of Eastern Florescence (divine overseer of male immortals) records the cultivator’s merits, while celestial youths and jade maidens from the ten directions guide the incense smoke to swiftly convey prayers to the highest heavenly courts.

The text concludes by affirming these invocations will ascend to the "Supreme Infinite Dao" (the ultimate source in Daoism) and the Nine Celestial Sovereigns of Divine Empyrean (a high celestial pantheon). The passage exemplifies the vast vow-power of Daoist practitioners in self-salvation and saving others, alongside the religious experience of connecting heaven and humanity through Zhaijiao (purification rituals).